Category Archives: Parliament

Local Government and the EU: the impact of Brexit

Posted on December 15, 2016 by Edinburgh_AoG

Evidence from Professor James Mitchell, Academy of Government, University of Edinburgh to Local Government and Communities Committee, December 14th 2016.   Understanding EU-Local government relations   The European Union, and its antecedents, was insinuated into the activities and responsibilities of … Continue reading →

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Nicola Sturgeon’s lonely decision

Posted on October 10, 2016 by Edinburgh_AoG

by James Mitchell  One issue will dominate discussion at the SNP conference in Glasgow this week, though not on the floor of the conference. The decision on when a second independence referendum is held is in the hands of Nicola … Continue reading →

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The future of the Scottish Tories: more than theatricals…

Posted on October 3, 2016 by Edinburgh_AoG

by  James Mitchell   For three decades, senior Tories in London were perplexed by political developments in Scotland. As they saw it, the party’s support receded as Scots embraced their policies. Scots bought their council houses but showed little gratitude … Continue reading →

Posted in Local Government, Parliament, Scottish Government, Scottish Politics | 2 Comments

Tories smiling but challenges ahead

Posted on May 10, 2016 by Edinburgh_AoG

The Scottish Conservatives are smiling and with good reason. The party’s share of the vote rose by 8.1% to 22% across Scotland’s 73 constituencies and by 10.6% to 22.9% across its regions. Over half a million voters turned out to … Continue reading →

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Women for Independence

Posted on March 11, 2016 by Edinburgh_AoG

James Mitchell, Lynn Bennie and Kristen Knowles (Universities of Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Queen Margaret University) Women for Independence (WfI) was founded three years ago to campaign for a YES vote in the Scottish independence referendum. It was only one amongst … Continue reading →

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Re: Syria, will it be ‘Yes, Prime Minister’ this time?

Posted on November 29, 2015 by Edinburgh_AoG

By Daniel Kenealy @DanKenealy It seems likely that David Cameron will, on Wednesday, seek a vote in the House of Commons authorising the UK to launch air strikes in Syria. The UK is already engaged militarily in bombing campaigns against … Continue reading →

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Constitutional Groundhog Day

Posted on October 23, 2015 by Edinburgh_AoG

By Professor James Mitchell Controversy surrounding English Votes for English Laws reminds us that the issues involved are as old as debates on home rule.  The dangers of instituting change in one constituent part of the UK without taking adequate … Continue reading →

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No, Prime Minister: What roles does the House of Commons play in UK foreign policy?

Posted on October 1, 2015 by Edinburgh_AoG

This blog is reposted from Edinburgh University’s Politics & International Relations blog. By Juliet Kaarbo and Daniel Kenealy Following the recent UK drone attacks in Syria, the House of Commons may once again vote on the UK’s role in the … Continue reading →

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